41642/13;43265/13;4584/14;17325/14;32138/14;59573/14;40481/15;50218/15;50579/15;60587/15;4102/16;19219/16;23246/16;30962/17

FIRST SECTION CASE OF FARINA AND OTHERS v. ITALY (Application no. 41642/13 and 13 others – see appended list)             JUDGMENT   STRASBOURG 16 May 2024       This judgment is final but it may be subject to editorial revision.   In the case of Farina and Others v. Italy, The European Court of Human Rights (First Section), sitting as a Committee composed of:  Péter Paczolay, President,  Gilberto Felici,  Raffaele Sabato, judges, and Viktoriya Maradudina, Acting Deputy Section Registrar, Having deliberated in private on 18 April 2024, Delivers the following judgment, which was adopted on that date: PROCEDURE 1.  The case originated in applications against Italy lodged with the Court under Article 34 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) on the various dates indicated in the appended table. 2.  The Italian Government (“the Government”) were given notice of the applications. THE FACTS 3.  The list of applicants and the relevant details of the applications are set out in the appended table. 4.  The applicants complained of the excessive length of civil proceedings and of the impossibility of lodging an application under Law No. 89 of 24 March 2001, known as the “Pinto Act”, pending the main proceedings. Some applicants also raised other complaints under Article 13 of the Convention and Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 to the Convention. relevant legal framework 5.  The relevant domestic law and practice can be found in Verrascina and Others v. Italy, nos. 15566/13 and 5 others, §§ 6-8, 28 April 2022. THE LAW  JOINDER OF THE APPLICATIONS 6.  Having regard to the similar subject matter of the applications, the Court finds it appropriate to examine them jointly in a single judgment. ALLEGED VIOLATION OF ARTICLE 6 § 1 OF THE CONVENTION 7.  The applicants complained principally that the length of the civil proceedings in question had been incompatible with the “reasonable time” requirement. They relied on Article 6 § 1 of the Convention. 8.  The Court reiterates that the reasonableness of the length of proceedings must be assessed in the light of the circumstances of the case and with reference to the following criteria: the complexity of the case, the conduct of the applicants and the relevant authorities and what was at stake for the applicants in the dispute (see Frydlender v. France [GC], no. 30979/96, § 43, ECHR 2000-VII). 9.  In the leading cases of Cocchiarella v. Italy [GC], no. 64886/01, ECHR 2006‑V, and Verrascina and Others v. Italy, cited above, §§ 31-33, the Court already found a violation in respect of issues similar to those in the present case. 10.  Having examined all the material submitted to it, the Court has not found any fact or argument capable of justifying the overall length of the proceedings at the national level. Having regard to its case-law on the subject, the Court considers that in the instant case the length of the proceedings was excessive and failed to meet the “reasonable time” requirement. 11.  These complaints are therefore admissible and disclose a breach of Article 6 § 1 of the Convention. OTHER ALLEGED VIOLATIONS UNDER WELL-ESTABLISHED CASE-LAW 12.  Some applicants complained under Article 13 of the Convention concerning the lack of an effective remedy (see appended table). This complaint is not manifestly ill-founded within the meaning of Article 35 § 3 (a) of the Convention, nor is it inadmissible on any other ground. Accordingly, it must be declared admissible. 13.  Having examined all the material before it, the Court concludes that it also discloses violations of the Convention in the light of its findings in Verrascina and Others v. Italy, cited above, §§ 23, 26, 30. 14.  In relation to applications nos. 50218/15 and 50579/15, the applicants also raised another complaint under Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 to the Convention concerning the interference with the peaceful enjoyment of their possessions caused by the excessive length of the civil proceedings. 15.  In view of the findings in the above paragraphs, the Court considers that there is no need to deal separately with this remaining complaint. APPLICATION OF ARTICLE 41 OF THE CONVENTION 16.  Regard being had to the documents in its possession and to its case‑law (see, in particular, Cocchiarella, cited above), the Court considers it reasonable to award the sums indicated in the appended table. FOR THESE REASONS, THE COURT, UNANIMOUSLY, Decides to join the applications; Declares the applications admissible; Holds that these applications disclose a breach of Article 6 § 1 of the Convention concerning the excessive length of civil proceedings; Holds that there has been a violation of the Convention as regards the other complaints raised under Article 13 of the Convention (see appended table); Holds that it is not necessary to examine separately the remaining complaints under Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 to the Convention; Holds (a)  that the respondent State is to pay the applicants, within three months, the amounts indicated in the appended table; (b)  that from the expiry of the above-mentioned three months until settlement simple interest shall be payable on the above amounts at a rate equal to the marginal lending rate of the European Central Bank during the default period plus three percentage points.​ Done in English, and notified in writing on 16 May 2024, pursuant to Rule 77 §§ 2 and 3 of the Rules of Court.    Viktoriya Maradudina Péter Paczolay  Acting Deputy Registrar President   APPENDIX List of applications raising complaints under Article 6 § 1 of the Convention (excessive length of civil proceedings) No. Application no. Date of introduction Applicant’s name Year of birth Representative’s name and location Start of proceedings End of proceedings Total length Levels of jurisdiction Case-law Other complaints under well-established case-law Amount awarded for non-pecuniary damage per applicant/ household (in euros)[1] Amount awarded for costs and expenses per application (in euros)[2]     41642/13 19/06/2013 Antonio FARINA Pasquariello Gianpiero   Caserta 15/09/2003 03/07/2012 8 years and 9 months and 19 days   1 level of jurisdiction Verrascina and Others v. Italy, nos. 15566/13 and 5 others, 28 April 2022 Art. 13 - lack of any effective remedy in domestic law in respect of excessive length of civil proceedings 12,500     43265/13 25/06/2013 Leo GIRONI Nucci Domenico   Castiglion Fiorentino 17/05/2012 26/08/2020 8 years and 3 months and 10 days   2 levels of jurisdiction Verrascina and Others v. Italy, nos. 15566/13 and 5 others, 28 April 2022   5,600     4584/14 21/06/2013 Maurizio MARCHETTI   09/04/2001 08/06/2020 19 years and 2 months   2 levels of jurisdiction Verrascina and Others v. Italy, nos. 15566/13 and 5 others, 28 April 2022 Art. 13 - lack of any effective remedy in domestic law in respect of excessive length of civil proceedings - 20,800 -     17325/14 02/04/2013 Corrado CODELLA Pasquariello Francesco   Caserta 10/03/2005 28/06/2012 7 years and 3 months and 19 days   1 level of jurisdiction Verrascina and Others v. Italy, nos. 15566/13 and 5 others, 28 April 2022 Art. 13 - lack of any effective remedy in domestic law in respect of excessive length of civil proceedings 8,300     32138/14 08/04/2014 Pietro PARISI Faiella Giuseppe   Nocera Inferiore 26/02/1988 17/02/2017 28 years and 11 months and 23 days   4 levels of jurisdiction Verrascina and Others v. Italy, nos. 15566/13 and 5 others, 28 April 2022 Art. 13 - lack of any effective remedy in domestic law in respect of excessive length of civil proceedings 14,400     59573/14 24/10/2014 Maria Liliana COLLU Masi Piergiorgio   Pisa 23/06/1989 03/06/2015 25 years and 11 months and 12 days   1 level of jurisdiction Verrascina and Others v. Italy, nos. 15566/13 and 5 others, 28 April 2022 Art. 13 - lack of any effective remedy in domestic law in respect of excessive length of civil proceedings 24,000     40481/15 10/08/2015 Giuseppe FORASTIERE Strazzullo Luca   Naples 06/11/2008 21/07/2016 7 years and 8 months and 16 days   1 level of jurisdiction Verrascina and Others v. Italy, nos. 15566/13 and 5 others, 28 April 2022 Art. 13 - lack of any effective remedy in domestic law in respect of excessive length of civil proceedings 8,000     50218/15 01/10/2015 (38 applicants) Iolanda Angela BELVISI   Angela BILLARDELLO   Anna Maria BILLARDELLO   Salvatore BILLARDELLO   Antonio Vittorio BRIGNONE     Giuseppe BRIGNONE   Giuseppe Ferruccio Omar BRIGNONE   Renzo Domenico BRIGNONE   Salvatore BRIGNONE   Giuseppe CASANO   Francesca Donatella D’AIETTI   Giacomo D’AIETTI   Maria Anna D’ANCONA   Francesca Giuseppa DE NUNZIO   Pierangelo DI MALTA   Rosa DI MALTA     Giuseppina Chiara Anna DIANA   Antonio GABRIELE   Giuseppe GABRIELE   Vincenzo Fabrizio GABRIELE   Caterina Maria GARSIA   Giuseppino GIGLIO   Giambattista Emiliano IMPELLIZZERI   Francesco LO PINTO   Giuseppa LO PINTO   Alberto LOMBARDI   Loredana Maria Pia MACCOTTA     Giuseppa Raimonda MARINO   Susanna Fortunella MURA   Caterina Fortuna MURANA   Antonietta POLICARDO   Giuseppa POLICARDO   Salvatore POLICARDO   Anna Maria Luisa RAFFAELE   Salvatore SANA   Giuseppina STORNANTE   Alessio VALENZA   Maria Rosa VALENZA Romano Giovanni   Rome 05/11/1996 pending More than 27 years and 3 months and 11 days   1 level of jurisdiction Verrascina and Others v. Italy, nos. 15566/13 and 5 others, 28 April 2022 Art. 13 - lack of any effective remedy in domestic law in respect of excessive length of civil proceedings 12,600     50579/15 01/10/2015 (70 applicants) Maria ALMANZA   Gbattista LO PINTO   Giuseppa Margherita Irma PANDOLFO   Filippo ODDO   Enrico GRECO   Giuseppa Raimonda MARINO   Baldassare Walter SORRENTINO   Rosa Maria PONTILLO   Maria CASANO   Giovanni CASANO   Benedetto Savio CASANO     Giuseppe Natale FERRANDES   Anna Saveria Clementina BRIGNONE   Rosa LO PINTO   Giuseppe IMPELLIZZERI   Salvatore Roberto GABRIELE   Angela Maria CASANO   Eva RAFFAELE   Angela DIANA   Melania Angela SORRENTINO   Francesco LO PINTO   Anna Rita GABRIELE   Salvatore D’AMICO   Giovanni Emilio BRIGNONE   Maria BONOMO   Salvatore BRIGNONE   Mariolino VALENZA   Vincenzo FARINA   Antonia CONSOLO   Maria CANDULLO   Pierangelo DI MALTA   Felice SALERNO   Maria RAFFAELE   Marianna MADDALENA   Iolanda Angela BELVISI   Giuseppe PAVIA   Teresa GABRIELE   Ivana Giuseppina D’ANCONA   Rosalba CHIAIESI   Rosa BERNARDO   Maria Antonietta GABRIELE   Rosa FERRANDES   Matilde BRIGNONE   Maria Anna D’ANCONA   Francesca Paola Epifania GIUNTA   Angela Pia GIGLIO Maria Marisia GIACOMARRO   Maria Gioconda RIZZO   Salvatore PAVIA   Vincenzo FARINA   Giuseppe GABRIELE   Giambattista LO PINTO   Francesco Erminio GRECO   Iolanda GIANNUSA   Francesco RIZZO   Caterina PAVIA   Francesco MAGGIORE   Vincenzo GABRIELE   Caterina Irene Maria BELVISI   Salvatore POLICARDO   Giuseppe SECHI   Beniamino SECHI   Daniela Rina GRECO   Giambattista D’AIETTI   Giuseppina BONOMO   Giuseppina Chiara Anna DIANA   Household Erminio D’AMICO Antonietta D’AMICO Romano Giovanni   Rome 09/11/1995 pending More than 28 years and 3 months and 7 days   1 level of jurisdiction Verrascina and Others v. Italy, nos. 15566/13 and 5 others, 28 April 2022 Art. 13 - lack of any effective remedy in domestic law in respect of excessive length of civil proceedings 8,400   60587/15 03/12/2015 Basilio GIUFFRIDA Cerio Ennio   Campobasso 23/02/2009 01/07/2020 11 years and 4 months and 9 days   1 level of jurisdiction Verrascina and Others v. Italy, nos. 15566/13 and 5 others, 28 April 2022 Art. 13 - lack of any effective remedy in domestic law in respect of excessive length of civil proceedings 12,800   4102/16 05/01/2016 Piergiorgio VALORI Marini Giulio   Ascoli Piceno 13/05/2002 pending More than 21 years and 9 months and 3 days   3 levels of jurisdiction Verrascina and Others v. Italy, nos. 15566/13 and 5 others, 28 April 2022 Art. 13 - lack of any effective remedy in domestic law in respect of excessive length of civil proceedings 19,200   19219/16 02/04/2016 Luigia CANTALAMESSA CARBONI Marini Giulio   Ascoli Piceno 03/08/2007 09/11/2016 9 years and 3 months and 7 days   2 levels of jurisdiction Verrascina and Others v. Italy, nos. 15566/13 and 5 others, 28 April 2022 Art. 13 - lack of any effective remedy in domestic law in respect of excessive length of civil proceedings 6,400   23246/16 18/04/2016 Ferdinando D’AUTILIA Strazzullo Luca   Naples 04/12/2008 06/02/2018 9 years and 2 months and 3 days   1 level of jurisdiction Verrascina and Others v. Italy, nos. 15566/13 and 5 others, 28 April 2022 Art. 13 - lack of any effective remedy in domestic law in respect of excessive length of civil proceedings 9,600   30962/17 13/04/2017 Francesco Antonio PALESE De Francesco Iolanda   Corsano 07/06/2006 03/03/2020 13 years and 8 months and 26 days   1 level of jurisdiction Verrascina and Others v. Italy, nos. 15566/13 and 5 others, 28 April 2022 Art. 13 - lack of any effective remedy in domestic law in respect of excessive length of civil proceedings - 17,600   [1] Plus any tax that may be chargeable to the applicants. [2] Plus any tax that may be chargeable to the applicants.